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Rescue teams have safely led all of the last trekkers near the east-facing slopes of Everest in the Tibet region to a secure location, including scores of native guides and livestock handlers, local government stated. This concludes one of the largest rescue and recovery operations ever conducted in the zone.

Large-Scale Evacuation Operation Completed

Several hundred of trekkers were found themselves stuck in heavy snow over the weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an unusually intense winter blast dumped significant snowfall across the territory.

Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which is located at an mean altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, emergency teams had guided approximately 350 hikers to safety.

Earlier reports had estimated that the last group of roughly 200 individuals were projected to reach safety by Tuesday.

In total, 580 hikers, coupled with more than 300 escorts, animal handlers, and other support staff were rescued, according to authoritative announcements released on Tuesday night.

Survivors Recount Severe Conditions

One Chinese hiker recalled how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow swiftly built up around their tents, obliging them to remove it every 90 minutes. They chose to descend on Sunday as the conditions became more severe.

“On the way, we met our guide’s father, who had ventured for him. That’s when we found out the snow was deep in the valley, too; community members, unable to contact their children on the mountain, were deeply concerned.”

Climbing Schedules Disrupted

The blizzard also hindered the objectives of alpinists led by a United States expedition firm to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the frontier between the People's Republic of China and the nation of Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Region

Karma valley was first visited by international explorers a long time ago. In recent years, with the development of the Everest region in Tibet as a major tourism draw, the area has brought in an rising number of visitors. More than 540,000 sightseers traveled to the Everest region last year, marking a new record.

Region Remains Closed

The Everest region is still currently off-limits to the public, encompassing the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Broader Effect

The significant snowfall over the weekend also impacted numerous of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, for example Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler succumbed, due to a combination of low body temperature and high-altitude illness.

Atypical Weather

October is typically a busy season for the area, with typically clear and moderate weather, but one trekker of an 18-person expedition team that made it back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “not normal.”